fuel question?

[jleable]

I was reading my owners manual and it says that the 400ex is designed to run on 92 octane or higher gas. I was wondering how necessarry it is to do this and will it hurt your machine if you run 87 octane in it? Also if you add 104+ octane booster to 87 octane gas does that give it enogh octane?

It won't hurt to run 87 but I think ya need ta buy 93 and don't mess with octane booster..

[jleable]

they say you hear a pinging sound is that because not all the gas is being burned and if so could you run a hotter spark plug?

Why can't you run 93,,do they not sell it around you??? Tryin to figure out what's goin on here..:confused:

[jleable]

well heres the scoop my dad has a 500 gallon tank of 87 octane and he will give it to me for free and most of the neibors that i ride with also give gas like if your out or something but its all 87 octane and if I want 92 octane I have to go buy it.

[Zero Z400]

6500 gallons..Thats alot of gas. The least you could do is mix it w/ premium. Anyways u don't buy gas for ur atv to often, so save the motor and run 92.


Later

[VegasEx'r]

So does the engine ping w/ 87 octane? It'll probably be okay w/ 87, but will run a little cooler w/ premium. Pinging, if it goes on for a long time, can shorten the life of the motor, so I guess you have to weigh the free gas against the fact that you could damage the engine.

Just my .02

[Wheelie]

Don't run octane booster. Buy aviation fuel if it's available in your area, it's cheap and mixed with unleaded should give enough octane.

Octane is a fuels resistance to burning (I think thats the right term), higher octane will burn slower and more completely. Pinging occurs when a low octane fuel allows a flame to start from a spot in the cylinder other than the spark plug. When the plug induced flame meets with the other flame a 'knock' or ping is created. If the ping is severe enough and ignored, it can create severe overheating and ultimately a hole in the piston.

500 gallons is a lot of fuel........

[flying400ex]

You could probably run 86 octane in your EX if it is stock. You only need high octanes for higher compression pistons. The stock compression is not very high so you can use 86. I used to use it all the time and never heard pinging or anything.

[whiteknuckle]

i dont know thats alot of free gas but, do you have a car? or truck? im sure you do so run it in there or charge youre friends nly like 10 bucks to fill up when it woulda cost them 20 and mod youre bike up! i only run 93 in mine and sometimes i add octane booster to it just to make sure the octane is high enough! it doesnt give me more power just peace of mind and the stuff i buy comes in a four pack and it only adds about 35 cents per gallon to my fuel price! you dont have to add booster but i would definatley run at least 92! they dont tell you to for no good reason! listen to the manual these guys know what theyre talking about! if the manual says to add 2 quarts of oil you wont put in just one correct? well there ya go! honda has been doin this for awhile id go with them on this one! why take the chance of shortening youre engines life to save a few! i have a 5 gallon gas can and it costs 8 bucks to fill it up with 93 right now! and it lats me for at least two weks of round-the-house riding usually! not too much!

[JOEX]

Sell the 500 gallons of gas to your "friends":devil

[zuLi0]

Running a lower octane than the motor was designed for will also cause it to loose a few horsepower and not be as throttle responsive as it was designed to be.

Plus all the other bad matters. Like over heating and pinging and engine damage. Your just better off to spend a few bucks, mind its a few bucks a week if you ride alot and a few less bucks if you dont ride a lot.

I buy 6gal at a time, that lasts me roughly 2 to 2 1/2 weeks. But its all depending on how much you ride and how much your a throttle jockey. I work and goto school so I only get to ride on the weekends most of the time.:huh :huh :huh

[-=Skot=-]

burn the 500 gal. in your vehicle and buy the good stuff for the EX

[zuLi0]

EXCATLY WHAT I WAS THINKING! :D

[jleable]

we do have some turbo blue racing gas mixed with 92 octane and that is around 100 octane. But the turbo blue is like $5 bucks a gallon, but maybee he will let me mix that with 87 to run in my 400ex.

[deansfastway]

IF YOUR ENGINE IS PINGING IT NEEDS BETTER FUEL AT LEAST USE PREMIUM , WHEN THE ENGINE PINGS OR KNOCKS ITS BECAUSE THE FUEL IS IGNITING TOO QUICKLY (higher octane slower burn) YOU NEED BETTER FUEL OR MORE OF IT (a little richer) WHATEVER YOU DO IF YOURE ENGINE IS PINGING DONT PUT IN HOTTER PLUGS YOU WANT TO PUT COOLER PLUGS, ALSO EXs RUN FUNNY AND PING IF THE SPARK PLUG IS A LITTLE LOOSE (gets leaned out a little) I HAVE SEEN 425s SEIZE UP BECAUSE THE PLUG WAS LOOSE WHEN YOU BORE OUT AN EX AND IT SEIZES UP THE CYL SLEEVE BREAKS THE LOCATING RING OFF AT THE TOP AND THE SLEEVE SLIPS DOWN WITH THE PISTON UNTIL THE SLEEVE HITS THE CRANK GEARS AND THEMN THE MOTOR IS TOAST. EXs ALSO RUN FUNNY AND PING IF THE AIRBOOT (intake manifold) BECOMES DELAMINATED , SEEMS LIKE BETTER QUALITY ON NEWER MODELS . FASTWAY MOTORSPORTS

[jleable]

I just put 105 octane racing gas in it. for the most of the time now i tink i'm going to mix that with 87 octane to chaepen my price up.